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The retrobasilingual space is the one of the most frequent sites of obstruction in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome, and several multilevel surgical procedures have been developed. The authors tested by means a preclinical study the feasibility of a new experimental surgical procedure called barbed hyoglossomandibulopexia (B.Hy.G.M.P.) which aims at advancing the tongue base with the hyoid bone (hyo-glossopexia) by multiple plicatures at the oral floor muscles.

B.Hy.G.M.P. was performed during cadaveric dissection on 12 human models. Retrobasilingual space enlargement was assessed by means of nasopharyngeal fiberendoscopy.

A 25% to 50% enlargement in the retrobasilingual space was documented by means of nasopharyngeal fiberendoscopy in all the patients.

The authors’ preclinical study documents the feasibility of the B.Hy.G.M.P. procedure on human models, and suggests the possible usefulness of this approach in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome patients with retrobasilingual collapse. Dedicated clinical studies on living subjects are needed to assess the effectiveness and safety of this technique.